Tree Care

DarinRay · Apr 23, 2001

Hello All,

I can tell you that I think I'm getting lazier now that I've discovered TBN. Instead of searching the web or other sources for information I just come here and search TBN. Sometimes I don't even search here and just ask questions. Well you see I have a row of large pines that have been established for along time and am moving dirt around them. My question finally is I've heard and read that when transplanting trees you never put dirt any higher than the trees original ground height and just bury it up to that point and am curious if this would affect an older established tree? I hope I'm being clear here...The ground was so high on the trees and now am going to sorta pile up some dirt around it because they are on a little bank and am filling in the bank. Thanks everyone

Bird · Apr 23, 2001

DarinRay, I don't know hardly anything about trees myself, but we had a number of trees die around my brother's place and he had a tree surgeon come out to tell what the problem was. I don't know how good the guy is either, but he's supposed to be an expert and he said we killed them just like you're talking about, except these were post oaks instead of pine. We built up the back yard and put too much dirt around existing trees; no transplanting.

Bird

scruffy · Apr 23, 2001

Bird,
Boy! I bet that pi..ed off the coyotes for miles around! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif You guys have few trees down in that neck of the...er...ah...grasslands!

DarinRay · Apr 24, 2001

Huh that's not something that I like to hear. I can't do something that I want without having consequences. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Oh well unless someone else posts otherwise or I hear differently from anywhere else I don't think I will do as previously planned. Thanks again!

Darin

GlueGuy · Apr 24, 2001

My understanding is just exactly that, you don't want to bury trees deeper than the original ground line. I don't know what kind of problem it causes, but arborists tell me it will kill the tree.

I think I also read it in Sunset Mag. when talking about transplanting trees: Never bury the trees deeper than the original ground line.

The GlueGuy

Bird · Apr 24, 2001

Scruffy, misconceptions abound./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif Of course, there really is a lot of wide open, cleared land around here; big farms, pastures, etc., but my brother's 10 acres was solidly wooded. It hadn't been touched in 50 years. A fellow bought it for his son, just as the son was going into the Army at the start of WWII. The son was killed in the war and the old man would never let anyone touch that land until he died and the heirs sold it. We sure had a lot of chain saw work to do just to cut a trail around the perimeter so he could find his boundaries. And when we built the house and pushed the woods back about 40 feet behind the house, we left a half dozen nice trees for shade, but unfortunately, they didn't survive after we build up that little back yard.

Bird

scruffy · Apr 24, 2001

Bird, Having spent a few years living down in the San Antone area, and an Uncle (& family) living in the Dallas area since the mid 40's, I have become acquainted somewhat with Texas, BUT the most important thing I've learned, is to yank all the Texan 'chains' that I can! Keeps you fellers on your toes! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif I have no arguements 'bout Texas, and many parts of it I like a lot. Almost bought 40 acres, store,deli, two homes, and feed store/gas combo in N.E. Texas, but decided that Oregon was where my heart still belonged. Loved that place though...would've made a life long project.

cowboydoc · Apr 24, 2001

Hmmm,
That's interesting about killing the trees by putting dirt up higher on them. I have a willow tree in my back yard and the roots were all being exposed because the tree was getting too big and the roots were growing out of the ground. Well instead of cutting it down, I didn't want to do that as it provides alot of shade for the house, I built one of those walls with retaining stones and filled it in with dirt. It goes up about 3 foot from where it was on the tree. This year the thing was back to growing like a bad weed again so we'll see if it kills it.

Blu21 · Apr 24, 2001

cowboydoc, willows are just like weeds! It figures the nice trees you want to keep end up dying and others types you just cant kill.Tom

Bird · Apr 24, 2001

San Antonio, Dallas, and NE Texas; that's a lot of contrast. Our state tourism office calls Texas "The Land of Contrast". I just thought you might have had the same misconceptions about Texas that I had about New York before I spent some time up there./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Bird